A haul of illegal hand-sanitiser products has been seized by Ealing Council.
In response to enforcement intelligence received from another local authority, officers from the council’s trading standards team carried out an inspection of a wholesaler in Southall and found more than 750 hand-sanitiser products which did not comply with the law.
The items seized had been allegedly imported and were being sold with no importer details and, of more concern, some did not have a list of ingredients. Officers also found that some products were making claims that the seized hand sanitisers could ‘kill germs and bacteria’.
The council is urging residents to be vigilant when purchasing such products, particularly at a time when people are working to protect themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19.
Any cosmetic products supplied in the UK must contain the importer’s details and a list of ingredients in accordance with law. Products without this information should not be purchased because there is a good chance that they have not been tested and do not meet UK standards.
Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and inclusion, said: “We urge members of the public to be vigilant when purchasing hand sanitiser and similar products.
“It is a sad reality that unscrupulous traders are trying to exploit fears about COVID-19 to prey on vulnerable members of the public by selling hand sanitiser which does not meet legal standards and therefore carries the risk of being ineffective.
“We are continuing to work hard to prevent members of the public from being scammed by rogue traders who want to capitalise on the current situation. We will prosecute anyone found selling these illegal items as part of our commitment to making Ealing safer.”
